‘’I am a free man. I am as light as a feather.’’-Javier Pérez de Cuéllar


ONE

The massive gates of the old colonial prison rattled noisily behind me as the two uniformed warders shut them away from curious eyes, and I was led to my new abode, where I was to spend three agonizing days, days I prayed never to witness again.
The day was a Friday and the last day before the weekend. And the judge had thought it wise to send me to cool off my heels and spend the weekend inside the four walls of a prison yard for disturbing the peace and intent to injure. So this is it, I thought silently, as I was cut off from my families, friends and foes, to await Monday, when I might be granted my liberty ones again.
My journey into this tormenting prison world had actually started two days ago when anger a very poor attributes of a gentleman had pushed me into a fight with my unfriendly neighbor, who had actually started the fight in the first place, but anger had covered my sense of logic and had pushed me foolishly to smashed a bottle on his head and in the process had caused him a serious injury that required six stitches and some days in hospital, where he was still laying in critical condition, before I was reminded. A mere argument we could both had resolved amicably. Instead, we had allowed dispute over right of space a cheap vanity thing to overtake our senses of reasoning. Well, it was too late, I thought as I was led into my new bareness room at the Awaiting Trial section of the old prison, where twenty one other inmates stared suspiciously at me with curious eyes as the uniformed guards locked up the rusty but strong looking iron door and I found myself suddenly curtained away from freedom and peace.




TWO

I stared sullenly at the round shape of a bright shining moon from the iron barred window in the crowded cell, and listened to the loud snoring of tired bodies lying next to me, I suddenly appreciated how marvelous my old mattress at home had been and the privacy I had hitherto enjoyed every night at home, alone in my small tidy room. What won’t I have given to be free and laying on my mattress even with the option of not stepping out throughout the day or week? At least it was still better than this secluded cage, where the freedom to shut my eyes and sleep off peacefully is as impossible as trying to spray one’s hand and attempt to fly up like a bird. What won’t I do this night just to be free and be able to use the bathroom as usual and ease myself freely without being authorized to do so?, as was obtainable in this dingy room.
It was an experience that had shocked me when I had attempted to ease myself of tormenting urine inside the smelly little room provided as toilet. But a loud voice from one of the prisoners had commanded that I must see the ‘OC in charge first to give me approval and I had waited with discomfort for my turn and made to keep the place clean as a newcomer after a hard looking Inmate, whose duty as the officer in charge of toilet, finally gave me the go ahead.
I had never done a more horrifying chore like the one I did that night. The stench from the dark unlighted urine flooded room was enough to send any sane mind into insanity and deflate his or her pride and ego. I had thrown up twice and held my nose throughout the twenty minutes exercise that seemed to have lasted two hours.
Finally, I was allowed to squeeze my tired disoriented body among other sleeping inmates who seemed to have accustomed their body and mind to the hard concrete floor and the constant tormenting whizzes noises of the abundant mosquitoes. I tried everything humanly to fight the small tiny creatures all-night, before I unconsciously succumbed to sleep and a dreamless night.




THREE
The two other days in my new caged world were up to this moment the most terrifying days of my life. I still find it hard to believe that a place like this existed in my country. My hitherto perception of a prison was no luxury house though, but not a house of hell as well. To me this was a house well out of a horror movie. How best could I have described a place where hundreds of able bodied men are locked up day and night, hunger and depression slowly eating away their creative minds and aspirations? Or what should I call a world where innocent beings were crammed like sardines with hardened criminals and left to break down permanently or waste away awaiting a long overdue court judgment, where their freedom lies in the hands of other fellow human beings who decide and has the final right to set them free like sheep to pasture in unwelcome societies.

The rattling of our old rusted iron cell door early the next morning after my first night, had jotted me abruptly from my uncomfortable dreamless sleep, as I stared frightening at the bulky shape of the morning warder, bumming loudly to everyone in the crammed cell to wake up to another dehumanizing day. We were all lined up outside and counted like sheep in the abattoir, waiting for the butcher’s long knife. The fat unsmiling warder assisted by other two unsmiling and unfriendly colleagues took note of our numbers and after assuring themselves that none among us had thought it stupid to escape the previous night, a suicide mission only a stupid fool would attempt, ordered us back into the smelling cell and locked us ones again from freedom and the morning fresh air.
I could have done anything to have been left out to soak my nose and body in that free fresh air. I would have gladly with a wide smile on my face sweep the whole prison yard, filled up plenty drums of water or wash many horrifying bathrooms, just to be left outside, away from the cage like cell that morning. I would not have mind nor give a darm if they had ordered me to stay stacked naked and roam around the big wall of the massive compound, amidst the curious eyes of other prisoners or warders, just to remain away from that one single lice infested room, where many disease were roaming freely, scouting for the next victim to descend on. I would have given out my blemish food ratio of the whole day gladly, just to be left outside to stare freely at the rising sun, and feel that sweet morning breeze as it blew comfortably across my face, free from conscious and unconscious farting and other human stench boldly abode in that room.
I would have gladly presented my buttock to be whip a thousand times, to be free from that airless room, away from unwashed bodies, demoralized and abandoned by their fellow country men and women in authority.


FOUR

I spent the last night of my three horrible days awake all night, praying, waiting and hopeful that the fat warder would come and wake us up with his big baton rattling loudly against the iron door earlier than usual. Today was my D-Day, a day that would decide my fate of either to remain a caged human being in this dehumanizing four walls or a free man with freedom written boldly all over my face, with a free smile, a free will and all the other unquantifiable features that make up a free man. Thank God, my victim was now back home from the hospital and now feeling much better, this all important life and death information I had gathered from a visiting relative earlier yesterday, so my fate now lies in the hand of the judge whom I pray would have leniency on me and grant me bail and that unquantifiable ticket to freedom.
I listened quietly as my other fellow inmates snored on and probably had the privileged of visiting the dreamland, one natural exercise that occurs ones in awhile in this place.
I noticed that few among them were also already awake and over heard some of them praying, wondering which among them hope to taste the sweetness of liberty that day just like me.
The loud horns from cars as they speed pass our walled world, spurred up my determination and hope to leave the place and go back home a freeman and a reformed one, with a self promise never to fight anybody again, even resolving to ensure that I give my other chin to any of my adversary who might be tempted to taste my patience again.
After all, that was the way the scriptures taught us to do in circumstances that had brought me to this place. I reminded myself silently, as I saw the big frame of the fat warder sleeked up to our cell door. I watched him with a grin, as he gave out his first loud bang of the morning, catching the other tired malnourished sleeping bodies unaware, rattling their ears awake to another degrading day.


End

Random Voices
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